Smile Please

“Say cheese!”

Here we are in a severe recession and parents need to make informed decisions about the most appropriate school for their children. Yet too frequently Independent School prospectuses and web sites resort almost exclusively, to images of smiling children! Yes it is important that children enjoy the process of learning, but “cheesy snaps” are not going to convey those distinct ingredients that make each school special.

In fact to reveal the true benefits of a school takes time and a well thought out strategy. Images that reflect the character and spirit of a school will involve careful planning and research. Furthermore, there is a rare skill in being able to understand the real benefits of a particular school. Is it highly academic, does it major on extra curriculum activities, is it highly artistic or musical, dose in maximise on its unique location, near water mountains or centres in a major city? The process of accurately reflecting the life and spirit of a school is more complex than it first appears! Nonetheless this is very important if we are going to give parents and future children the ability to exercise choice.

Pretty pictures are one thing, but even more demanding is how do you effectively communicate the very qualities that make one school different (or even better) from the next. It’s all too easy to confuse school photography with wedding photography, spreads, festooned with smiling attractive children. In fact many photographers commissioned to handle schools are in fact wedding photographers. But this photographic culture can have a limited scope and even demeaning effect in communicating the real advantages of a particular school.
 All too frequently parents and staff are getting short changed because schools’ marketing material looking superficial and identical to promotional material of competitive schools.
The question, which needs to be addressed, is “how can prospective parents make informed choices for the most suitable school for their children, when the marketing material is identical to other schools?”

The answer is simple – “with difficulty!”

In this time of a financial challenge, parents, more than ever need to be able to make informed choices. The importance of clear information to avoid confusion when selecting a school for their children.
There are a few basic questions that when addressed, will help schools to shape and create effective marketing material. Why are we producing a new prospectus or web site? Who is it for, and who are we aiming at? Who are we competing against? What makes our school distinctive? Do we implement a different culture to other schools that appeals to a particular group? The benefits of a school designed for single sex education, compared with co-education. Consideration should be given to the school’s environment as well as its demographics, which both have a bearing on the choice between boarding and day. Can a creative use of photography enable the school to convey these benefits?

For a school marketing initiative to be effective, parents need to be able to have an insight that reveals the school’s individual character.  Each school must aim to convey why it is different; the quality, the breadth, the unique benefits, the ethos. Inspired photography and clean design can play a pivotal role in enabling parents and their children to make more enlightened decisions about a school. Aim for high quality, no gimmicks, no tricks. Saying “cheese” will not convey the right message! Transparency and clear thinking are the essential ingredients for an effective marketing strategy.

Getting your strategy right will put a smile on your face!

For more information please visit our website www.jwaltd.com

Vive la difference!!!

I recently attended the BSA Head’s Conference where a provocative, but thought provoking Kevin Roberts CEO of Worldwide Saatchi & Saatchi said he found school marketing consistently boring and uninspiring. He went on to say as we were facing a serious financial crisis what steps were schools taking to succeed in the downturn?

Similarly at an AMDIS Marketing conference last year I spoke to two heads that complained that all prospectuses looked the same, (I resisted saying that they are the people responsible for approving them!) Many are beginning to question their whole approach to schools marketing. This is a wake up call! For too long it has been possible to swap the name on the cover of one school’s prospectus and exchange it for another. The real problem is that you probably would not have spotted the difference! These solutions are driven by unthinking suppliers with a “that’ll do” policy. Sadly, this is no joke, but a fact!

There are a number of excellent creative companies, but still too many, that are happy to churn out cost cutting, bland, conveyor belt, design solutions for schools. They will send in a photographer for a couple of days to get a few standard classroom and sports shots. It is not surprising it is difficult to distinguish one school from another. The strategy is well rehearsed; a shiny navy blue cover with the mandatory crest, the serif titling and a picture of children outside the main building. Inside the theme continues each spread is festooned with static shots of smiling children all taken from two meters away! One prep school prospectus I saw recently had three, patronising pictures of the head in it but hardly any of its staff! This approach will do the school no favours.

The other extreme are companies who subject the schools to irrelevant graphic solutions that are different, but for totally the wrong reasons. For example, a very good school in Surrey was pursuaded to adopt ‘EasyJet’ orange in the name of difference. I’m relieved to say they’ve given up on that wild excursion now and have reinstated navy blue! Then more recently, I came across a marketing package for a school, all built around the DVD packaging, where the designers had hidden the prospectus inside the DVD cover, it took me four days to find it, ridiculous!! The “design” should not be the captivating feature of the prospectus, but the “school.” Years ago someone at the Royal College of Art said to me “Good design never gets noticed.” Put another way the design is subservient to its task of effective communication, not a self-indulgent whim. It is only by familiarisation of the life and spirit of a school that an informed design can take shape. Informed design solutions can help parents/pupils make informed decisions about the appropriateness of one school as opposed to another.

Schools are unique. They are all very different from each other. They serve different markets and aim at different clientele. A child will find one school will be more appropriate to his/her needs than another. Prospectus design difference needs to be driven by the school’s ethos, spirit and character, not by bland or esoteric design solutions. The prospectus will be different if it is an honest portrayal.




Front cover for Radley College (also known as "The Pink Cover") created by JWA Ltd., 2008

For more information please visit our website www.jwaltd.com

Our work on ebook

JWALTD  always try to find a fresh solution to solving the brief.

We believe the image speaks a thousand words. So our photography drives much of our 

design work. We are convinced the public are more visually articulate than ever before and 

make judgements on what they see before they read. 

We specialise in the production of marketing material for both the independent educational and commercial property sectors.

Here's a selection of our latest photographic and illustration work on Ebook format.

For more information please visit our website www.jwaltd.com

Quick fix?

SCHOOLS marketing departments tell me they are inundated by eager agencies offering corporate branding as a one–stop solutions. 

We visited a school recently where the management had invested in a very convincing “brand” but despite that, the head was concerned, because of falling rolls – particularly by a severe lack of response to uptake in the pre-prep department. We looked at the existing prospectus package and noticed that the designer had allocated a tiny DL-sized leaflet to that department. The design concept had driven the solution, which, although attractive, in this case had failed to give the pre-prep department the importance it deserved.

Design solutions should convey information effectively, and should not impose artificial constraints on important information.

We visited another school whose academic reputation was good, yet whose corporate image was very poorly implemented. It appeared there was no specific typeface for the school logo.

Inevitably the website, prospectus and mailshots all suffered from a lack of visual coordination.

For a school that provides a culture of excellence for its students, it’s no longer acceptable to muddle along with a confused marketing strategy. We live in a society where the public are more visually literate than they have ever been. Both of these schools have suffered because of poor advice, and the apparent appeal of ‘one–stop’ solutions.

There are a number of agencies offering one-stop’ solutions that claim to resolve all marketing issues. I think this ‘can do’ philosophy has a compelling appeal to a number of schools, but a quick-fix is not that simple. started my career as a graphic designer working for Sir Norman Foster, and at the time he would (and the company still does) call upon the expertise of specialist consultants to undertake a project, structural engineers, for example.

Similarly I question the ability of these ‘one-stop’ marketing’ companies to exercise ‘best practise’ for a school. It would be a brave claim for a company to be sufficiently talented to undertake the school’s photography, corporate design, prospectus design, DVD filming and web construction, yet they do!

We talk to a wide range of schools across the country regarding prospectus design, and a surprising number complain that agencies are increasingly offering design solutions that have failed to promote a thorough understanding of the dynamics of their school. Perhaps the true qualities of the school are being lost in the name of ‘creative design’. We have seen a plethora of images of smiling children that give little idea of what a school really has to offer. Someone once said ‘that good design never gets noticed’ – clearly there is an element of truth in this. Of course, prospectus design isn’t an end itself but a communication vehicle, it should be, in our opinion, subordinate to its subject, even understated.

In our view, the primary task of the prospectus is to excite and inform, but not to disclose all. Its purpose is to reflect the qualities that make each school ‘special’; it is only by a thorough understanding of the school that this is achievable. It needs to persuade parents and children to visit a school for themselves. Increasingly, parents are looking for breadth in education for their children. Sport can cultivate teamwork and cooperation. Drama, music and art can encourage creativity, individuality and enriches the soul.

JWA is continually analysing how best a school can effectively communicate its breadth of curriculum. We consider it essential to spend time familiarizing ourselves with the life of the school, talking to staff, taking meaningful photographs to gain a better understanding of what makes each school ‘special’. What makes it special, its academic achievements, its location, its ambience, and its legacy? What is it, specifically, that the children enjoy about the school? It could be the brilliant teaching, or the friendly atmosphere. These are factors, which are difficult to capture without a deeper knowledge of the school.

Prospectuses will only be different in appearance when they honestly reflect the life and spirit of each unique institution. To maintain best practice it is vital we maintain careful monitoring of the printing process. Poor printing can undermine all the effort put into the design and photographic process. Similarly the choice of paper can make a real difference to the feel and presentation of the final product.

For more information please visit our website www.jwaltd.com

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS 2009 

FROM JWA

Tough Times

Take the long-term view

Tough times – how should a school’s marketing respond?

There is no question that the squeeze will impact on us all in some way.

But the quality of child’s educational journey is a crucial factor in a their development. In spite of the squeeze, parents will be reluctant to compromise on doing their best. They will look hard for the school that can most effectively nurture their child. They will research the market, scrutinise the website and prospectus to make the right choice on values they see as important. Decisions on the most appropriate school are made on the assessment of positive information. How do schools compete in a culture of 5% inflation?

It is my opinion that there is a case for prioritizing and taking the long-term view. There are two approaches which both have currency. The first is not to compromise on quality because excellence will always resonate with discerning parents, the second is to exercise a conscious policy of prudence. Put simply, in two words: spend wisely!

Many years ago I was involved in the promotion of Milton Keynes New City. The vision for a City of that scale had to be long term and yes there were downturns in the economy, but the evolution of that City was in excess of 25 years. When a recession occurred the vision was not compromised because projected recessions were built into the original financial projection, on the assumption that the pendulum would swing. Today, in spite of a few cynics, Milton Keynes can claim to be one of Britain’s most successful New Towns, not least, because the stakeholders didn’t loose their nerve in lean times.

Similarly, a child’s education can take around 15 years before a student has completed his/her education. It would be a sad day if parents withdrew their children from an excellent school because of a financial squeeze.

Parents have only one chance to expose their children to the education system and most want the best for their children. Each school has its own unique skills and atmosphere. Inevitably there are schools which might not suit some children, whereas, others might be a perfect match for their child’s character and academic skills to grow.

In deciding on the right school is important for parents to discover what schools have to offer, and what makes each school special. For parents to have choice and make the right decision is vital that the prospectus has grasped the unique flavour of the school. It is the subtle differences that can make a school appropriate for one child. One school we were involved with had been perceived as being a ‘hot house’. But on further scrutiny, in fact, it was not only highly academic but offered students a generous choice of interesting opportunities, including overseas visits, exceptional music and arts facilities, furthermore the students had a great time. Other schools may have a bias towards sport or debating/drama. Some schools have majored on redeveloping their boarding houses and have special facilities to make boarding a home from home experience 

It is essential that prospectus/web designer tease out these qualities so the process of choice for both parents and children is made easier. It’s not ideal for children to change schools because the information given proved inadequate or misleading. A quality production does not mean lavish, but it needs to be informative, it needs to convey the spirit of care and a give a clear idea of the school’s objectives. Compelling text and well observed, engaging photography help to convey the unique character of a school. The information the prospectus and its information booklet provide should enable the reader to distinguish it from other schools. Yet, at a marketing conference I attended recently one head said to me, “Why do so many prospectuses look identical”?

It is a paradox that the very schools that advocate a culture of excellence continue to be persuaded by design groups who are prepared to offer free pitching. A practise where a “quick fix” solution is tabled as a serious proposal.’ It undermines the integrity of the design industry and treats design as a style business, relegating design to a magic wand. What I fail to understand is why perceptive stakeholders are driven by such an unprofessional practise. How can a superficial, pitch solution represent an in-depth understanding of a complex institution? Yet, contracts continue to be awarded to those companies who exercise free pitching. If parents are to make informed decisions they need high quality information and yet schools persist in underselling themselves.

In our experience, it is not until you have a good understanding of a school that you are in a position to make an informed proposal on how a design solution for branding or a prospectus might work. Our design solutions endeavour reflect the life and spirit of each school they promote, it’s because every school has its own distinct character that the different. 

Spend wisely; it costs no more to do things well than it does to do them badly.

In this period of tough times we owe it to the parents to make informed choices, we at JWA would like to be a part of that process. 

For more information please visit our website www.jwaltd.com

Contesting The Clones

We were one of the exhibitors at the ISC Marketing 2008. It was an early start. I think I arrived at the Russell Hotel at 6.45 am! 

But in the frenzied excitement of the day, meeting friends, colleagues, attending the stimulating seminars, our effectiveness in reaching those who were interested in knowing more about JWA might have become eclipsed!

JWA is a small, but well-established, successful design company, that likes to see itself as a mirror! Why, you may ask, should we identify ourselves with a mirror?

Quite simply, we at JWA see our primary task is to design prospectuses that not only inspire the reader, but also accurately reflect the life and spirit of each school, and in doing so, aim to make the difference.

There is a well-tried exercise to test the accuracy of any prospectus and that is to exchange the name on the cover for another school. If the prospectus still works, (and there’s a very good chance it will!) then the prospectus designer has failed to understand his brief.

We frequently discover that many design companies have a stronger sales team than they do design team, and their products can suffer from being clones, failing to differentiate one school from another! The implication of a prospectus that does not effectively expose the true benefits of a particular school has profound repercussions. It is both misleading for the parents; a disservice to the school and not cost-effective.

Many believe that today the real marketing for a school is achieved by the web site. We of course believe this to be too simplistic. The web site needs to work in conjunction with and be complimentary to the prospectus. The prospectus provides a quality, tactile insight to the school, whereas the website provides detailed and up to the minute information. A good web site can complement a good prospectus, especially if their design is well coordinated. 

Every school is different. It serves distinct target groups, and inevitably every school has its own character and profile. We see it as a major part of our brief to find what makes each school distinctive. The objective of many schools could be shared, empowering the child to discover his potential and the value of community. But it is the different ways schools choose to undertake the educational process, which distinguishes one from another. Yet, too many prospectuses look the same, a criticism levelled to me only last month when a friend of mine had worked his way through a pile of prospectuses, looking for a suitable school for his son. Parents and children need to be able to make informed choices.

We are convinced that it takes quite a degree of understanding before you can design a prospectus that honestly reflects a particular school. A charming marketing lady told me she thought she would like to see page layouts/style sheets of a school prospectus before she would appoint a design company. This is a little premature. It is unrealistic, in my opinion, to hypothetically work up a design until you are familiar with the life and spirit of a school. We don’t do it. Informed design solutions can only be arrived at through relevant knowledge of the school. Therefore I find it counterproductive that so many prospectuses are marketed by style rather than content! We suggest that it is preferable to inspect the design company’s portfolio and then check with the school, to confirm how successful the publication has been.

For marketing to be effective, it is essential to convey the real benefits, distinct purpose and vision of each school in the prospectus, if it is going to have any impact on an informed decision making process. In fact, in this economic downturn, to avoid miss-understandings, it is important to communicate the ethos and objectives of a school as accurately as possible.

In the bustle of manning our stand at ISC 2008 this is difficult material to discuss, but it may help you understand why we are here again!

Schools are as exciting, dynamic and individual as the people in them and the objective to convey that will remain the challenge.

For more information please visit our website www.jwaltd.com